Food Costs Are Up Almost 12% Despite Cooling Inflation. Here’s How to Save at the Supermarket

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Groceries have gotten expensive, but that doesn’t mean you can’t trim your costs. 

If it seems like your credit card bills are going nowhere but up and that higher food costs are to blame, well, you’d be correct. Between December 2021 and December 2022, the cost of food rose 11.8%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And even if you’re someone who doesn’t tend to buy fancy ingredients, you might still be looking at substantially higher bills.

The good news, though, is that there are steps you can take to trim your supermarket spending — even at a time when inflation is making the cost of feeding a family so burdensome. Here are some tips to employ.

1. Buy in bulk — but only when that makes sense

If you have a membership to a warehouse club store like Costco, it pays to put it to good use and buy groceries in bulk. Doing so could help you spend less on food. And the less you spend, the more you can add to your savings account.

In fact, you don’t even need a Costco membership to take advantage of bulk buying. Your regular supermarket might offer certain items in bulk, and scooping them up could leave you spending less.

That said, you need to be careful when buying in bulk. A good bet is to stick to products that meet these criteria:

You eat them oftenThey have a long shelf lifeYou have a place to keep them

Otherwise, you might end up throwing food away — and wasting money instead of saving it.

2. Stick to a list

Putting together a grocery list and sticking to it could help you keep your food-related spending down. For one thing, if you’re only hitting specific aisles to check items off your list, as opposed to roaming around the store, you may be less tempted by impulse purchases. And also, if your list is based on meals you have planned, you may be less likely to end up losing money to food waste.

3. Shop at the right stores

Sometimes, saving money on groceries can boil down to choosing the right supermarket. You might have a favorite chain that’s conveniently located to your home. But if you’re willing to drive a few minutes out of your way, you might come across a discount grocer like Aldi, where you could end up spending considerably less on household staples.

Another option to consider? Dollar stores. They’re not the type of store to go to when you’re looking for produce or perishable items, but for pantry staples like pasta and rice, they could be a good bet.

That said, always check out the sales at your go-to supermarket before heading to a discount store or grocer. If a box of pasta normally costs $1.25 at your favorite grocery store but there’s a sale this week that brings pasta boxes down to $0.79 apiece, that could be your least expensive bet.

Food costs may be way up. But with the right strategy, you can enjoy your fair share of savings.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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